A Skype Call
by uhmcake
Summary: Bucky tries Skyping Steve for the first time Update: sequel posted as Rendezvouz!


"Steve?"

"Hey Steve can you hear me?"

"I can see you laughing you punk." Bucky tapped at the little circle Shuri had planted by his ear. The prototype arm she had stuck on him was working beautifully and ran smoother than his old one but he had yet to master the communication disks. He loved the tech and all but it wasn't quite intuitive to him yet. Everything seemed so surreal in Wakanda.

"Jerk." Finally, Steve's voice came through. The ex-winter soldier was quiet for a moment. It seemed like forever since he'd last seen his best friend but now here they were, face-to-face courtesy of Wakandan tech. Shuri had given Steve a phone of her own design so he could contact her and T'Challa, but most importantly he could video call Bucky from anywhere around the world. For some reason, the princess seemed particularly invested in their relationship.

"How ya been, Buck?" Steve's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he smiled wider,

"This place is amazing, Stevie! They got actual flying cars here and everything's so shiny and new and clean. The food is amazing, I don't know what half the stuff is but I need to start training again before I put on some pounds." He scratched his head, a little abashed by how amazed he was with the place. Steve just chuckled, his eyes crinkling and white teeth flashing through his short beard.

Huh, wonder how long he's been growing that. Was it by choice or did he just not have enough time to shave while on the run? Suddenly he was very concerned about his friend and guilt washed over him. Here he was, ex-assassin, murderer, and terrorist, hiding out in a tech sanctuary while Steve Rogers, ex-Avenger, hero, and altruist, was on the run from the very government he had served for so long.

"How're you? Steve." The smile dimmed a little at the quiet, noticeably sadder tone. Then it returned bright and genuine,

"Buck," Steve tilted his head to the side affectionately, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry, alright? I don't think they're really out to get us. Tony's probably under a lot of pressure to get us but he can prioritize.

"..." Bucky sighed, "If you say so... just remember to eat and sleep — or you'll turn back into that skinny little twerp from before the war." He grinned cheekily and Steve laughed,

"Jerk."

"Punk. Where are you, anyways?" The phone's camera couldn't capture much else aside from his friend's head.

"Edinburgh, Scotland."

"Scotland? What are you doing there?"

"Food and beer?" Steve tried to sound innocent but burst out laughing a second later,

"I'm only kidding a little. We were passing by and there's a festival that Wanda wanted to check out."

"Right, how's the kid doing?"

"She's holding up; the festival's cheered her up a bit."

"That's good, that's good," he bit his lip, "she's too young to be a fugitive though, why not bring her here?" Bucky cocked his head to the side, genuinely curious why his friend would take a kid on the run when there was a perfectly safe place she could stay. Steve shook his head ruefully,

"She's young but she's strong and she wants to do good, Buck. She's hurt people in the past and that can't be reversed but she — we want to do good where we can. Even if we have to hide and run, it's what we want."

"Ever the noble hero."

"You forgot humble."

"Oh, my mistake!" Bucky rolled his eyes. They shared another laugh, then fell silent. Feeling courageous, Bucky licked his lips,

"Hey Steve," he paused, contemplating his next works.

"Yeah?"

"I — I wanna do good too." He'd been staring at the keyboard but now looked up at his friend to convey the genuineness of his new resolution, "I don't know how long it'll take to fix this," he motioned to his head, " mess but when I can trust my mind again, when I know it's just me me in there... I want to make rights for the wrongs."

Steve was quiet for a bit, as if surprised that he would want to go back into the field and fight. Bucky didn't really want to fight, he'd never had. Steve had been the one trying his darnest to get into the army; Bucky had been drafted. He'd been pulled from home, thrown into a war and was broken down and put back together into something that wasn't fully him, and he'd hurt people. He didn't really want to hurt people again but he had abilities now that made him capable of doing some good. And if he could do it, if he could help his best friend help the world, then he would. He wanted to.

Steve seemed to sense his determination and smiled,

"Whatever you decide, I'm with you Buck."

"Till the end of the line?"

"Till the end of the line."


End file.
